MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet

MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial

Clever converter for serial RS-232 devices

The MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet is a compact network device, capable of converting serial data to Ethernet packets. It taps onto a serial or RS-232 connection, captures the transmitted data frames, and sends them as UDP datagrams in a user configurable format.

The MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial works in the opposite direction, generating serial data from incoming UDP data over Ethernet. The source of the UDP data can be a MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet, or data generated from a network device or computer.

How it works

MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet

The MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet is a powerful, yet simple to use data converter and logger. Connect a serial data source to the mini-DIN connector, using an adapter cable. Connect 5V DC power using the vertical USB-A socket (can be from any computer, using a standard USB cable). Connect Ethernet to the RJ45 socket on the other end. After a simple configuration procedure, the Morphstick will capture all serial traffic without interfering with it, and transfer it over Ethernet to a chosen destination.

MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial

The MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial is a powerful, yet simple to use data converter and logger. Connect 5V DC power using the vertical USB-A socket (can be from any computer, using a standard USB cable). Connect Ethernet to the RJ45 socket on the other end. After a simple configuration procedure, the Morphstick will generate asynchronous serial data from data received over Ethernet.

Highly configurable

All MorphStick devices feature a button, which switches them into configuration mode over USB. An free lightweight application is available, which guides through the configuration process. During configuration the basic network communication needs to be configured, such as the where to send the acquired data. It takes just a few minutes to get the basic data transfer running, however the flexibility of the device also allows setting up sophisticated communication schemes.

Serial adapter cables

MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet and MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial feature a universal 6-pin mini-DIN connector, which can be used in a few different serial bus configurations. To connect to a single serial source, the mini-DIN to DB-9 adapter can be used, which is supplied with each device. To connect to a serial bus with two data transmitters and receivers, a special mini-DIN to DB-9 splitter cable can be supplied. Similarly, DB-25 adapters and male/female converters can be supplied with the device.

The bigger picture

Morphsticks are essentially building blocks of bigger communication systems. The data originating from MorphStick Serial 2 Ethernet can be sent to several destinations. One of them can be the MorphStick Ethernet 2 Serial, creating a transfer link over Ethernet for serial devices. Another destination can be a host computer, with dedicated software. A sample application is delivered, demonstrating this capability. Yet another option is a dedicated MorphStick device solely for the purpose of logging data from several sources.

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

The PoE version allows to power the device with DC voltages up to 48V over the RJ-45 connector. The device can be powered either over USB or through PoE (or both), extending the flexibility of the application in which the MorphStick is used in. The PoE version fully supports IEEE 802.3af PoE specification, including PoE detection, classification and undervoltage lockout.

Optional features

Two device features are available on demand: 8GB internal flash memory, and an RTC (Real Time Clock). The flash memory option adds 8GB internal memory for data logging purposes, while the RTC options adds time-stamps to the logged data. The set time and date is retained even when the device is powered off, thanks to an internal battery.